May 18, 2009 by artistatexit0
Sunday was absolutely glorious and the river level had dropped as quickly as it had risen. My youngest son Adam came with me today and we shared an adventure in exploring and creating art. After the river goes down, it’s always fun to see how the landscape has been changed and what new stuff has washed up. Here’s an image of Adam and the “giant plug from the bottom of the river”. The air was full of cottonwood fluff and birds were everywhere. Saw two more new species for me, the Red-eyed Vireo and the Black-throated Green Warbler. Both are supposedly common species, but you would be surprised at how little they show themselves.
Adam is the artist in the family and has an amazing ability to focus on projects when he wants to. Lately, he has been on an extended Godzilla, King of the Monsters kick. He collects the action figures and watches the movies and makes all kinds of art based on the characters and story lines. Today he started things off with a sand drawing.
He has seen me make stuff from Styrofoam for years and naturally he has to try his hand at it too. We call these small sculptures “Foamies” and here is his Godzilla…now in three dimensions. It’s made from polystyrene, sticks, and nuts. I helped where the use of a knife was needed. Adam’s older brother, Michael used to come out with me when he was younger and we would have similar adventures making things. It’s important to bring your kids outdoors if you ever expect them to develop a love for it.
Adam wasn’t the only one enjoying himself! I gathered materials and made this figure I called the “Time Keeper” based on the plastic clock filled with water hanging around his neck. The riverbank is still muddy in places. If you are not careful you can walk right out of your stuck in the mud shoes. The first photos I took of this figure were by this barge rope. I’m not sure what the blue material its body is composed of, but it’s not true polystyrene foam. I was able to locate many of the larger pieces I had put away for safe keeping…the river did move them, but not far away.
This is where I left the “Time Keeper”. I wonder when I next return to the Falls if he will still be there? His body was water-logged and he needs to dry out a bit. He’s in the Willow Habitat by the fixed wier dam. The coming week promises a few good days and we shall see!
Posted in Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged father and son, Godzilla, sand, Styrofoam, time | 3 Comments »
May 17, 2009 by artistatexit0
I was going through my digital files and was reminded of this piece that I made for a show at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Crafts. The exhibition was entitled “Visions from Voices” which featured visual art inspired by Kentucky writers and musicians. In other words, art inspired by other art. I had just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s great novel, “The Poisonwood Bible” and the idea for this piece came to me.
Much of my Falls project, occurs on-site, however, I do remove a lot of rubbish and haul it home where I make things in my basement. Once in awhile, I do find an object that is so complete by itself, that it requires the right moment to activate any additional meanings. Such was the case with the Styrofoam piece that had the word “Bible” embossed onto it. I came across this at the river years ago and wondered what I could do with this that would be interesting and do justice to it. I can only guess what this was originally a part of…perhaps some funerary decoration or maybe it was the cover of some inexpensive, cloth covered book? Anyway, I saved it hoping a good opportunity would present itself.
The Kingsolver novel came at the right time in more ways than one. If you are unfamiliar with the story (and by all means..read this book) it is set in the former Belgian Congo in the early 1960’s on the cusp of their independence. An evangelical Christian family moves to a remote village and sets up a mission. The minister-father of the family tries his best to “civilize” the local people and of course all kinds of misunderstandings occur. The minister can’t understand why he can’t get the people into the river for their full immersion baptism and the locals can’t understand why he is trying to kill them. Afterall, the river is full of man-eating crocodiles! It’s the classic clash of cultures. Although Kingsolver’s novel pre-dates the current Iraq War, our campaign there always smacked to me as an example of “evangelical democracy”… just because we believe this is right doesn’t mean it will be accepted, especially if we don’t respect the traditions that are already in place. This is one of the lessons in history that doesn’t seem to get learned.
I don’t have many shots of this piece, but here is one while it was on exhibit. It was purchased by a local artist/collector and now has a good home. Roughly, the piece was about six feet long and made mostly of Styrofoam, plastic, and driftwood. I did use a few reflectors, a couple of lathe-turned spindles, one of the eyes is rubber…the other is a buckeye. All the material elements traveled down the Ohio River (a baptism of their own) and washed up at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.
Posted in Art, art and environment, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio River, recycled art, Styrofoam | Tagged absurd art, Barbara Kingsolver, crocodile, Poisonwood Bible, Styrofoam | 2 Comments »
May 14, 2009 by artistatexit0
A beautiful spring day and a perfect time to sit by the river. The greening trees are alive with the fresh colors of migratory birds. Somewhere off in the distance is a sound or more accurately a vibration that piques your interest. Since the hearing is going you need something to focus the sound.
Where would you be without your trusty ear trumpet? You have come to rely upon it like a conduit to your brain and an aid for your memory.
A smile comes across your face as the vibration becomes more audible. It’s enough of a hint for you to recall the sound of…
… diesel engines crossing over the bridge………. Alright, so it won’t win any literary prizes, but it was fun to do. The train picture is recent, but the figure is long gone…was it last year or the one before that? I think I need something to focus my memory too. This figure, as usual, is made from various found elements…polystyrene foam, driftwood, and plastic. The nose I remember was the handle of a broken paint brush. One of the eyes is a fishing bobber and the other…who knows? I thought the found bottle of sports drink added a nice color note. This piece was up for awhile, before it was carried away by a flood.
Posted in Art, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged Art, figure, hearing, memory, nature, recycled art, sound, spring, trains | 2 Comments »
May 13, 2009 by artistatexit0
I’ve started posting various collections I’ve formed of river junk found at the Falls of the Ohio. Here is but a “taste”. You will need to check my Pages for updates. It’s all 100% stuff that has traveled down the Ohio River. Above is my “Fake Food Collection” in the box. In my collections section you can see the contents spread out.
Posted in Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, Ohio River, recycled art, unusual collection, watershed | Tagged artificial, collecting, collection, junk, mania, material culture, obsessions, toys | 1 Comment »
May 12, 2009 by artistatexit0
The river has pretty much crested and now it’s a matter of waiting for the water to recede. Of course, all bets are off if we receive any more sustained downpours. I know this is only anecdotal, but it seems everything is a weather event these days. What ever happened to the gentle, soaking rains free of high winds and hail? 
The river may be muddy, but I do love the clarity of the air after a big storm moves through the valley. It’s air as it should be, which is more than we can say about the water. All manner of artificial debris is floating around with the bark rolled off the logs. I bet I’ve seen ten plastic barrels go by the last three days. Lots of people have been curious about the river and for the most part the fishing has been good too. I’m getting that feeling that the spring migration is coming to a close and I can concentrate on making art again.
The above image is the largest of three caches of polystyrene foam I have hidden in the woods prior to this flood. It doesn’t matter now because I’m sure that most of this is gone. This site was swamped by water and I might come across some of this stuff later. I was hoping to make a few more larger figures, but I will have to wait. I will wager that since I started this project I have lost over a dozen such collections to the river. As much of this stuff as I have removed from the park…there will always be more after the next inundation.
For now, I will explore what else the park has to offer and see if a few stray migratory birds have lingered in the interior. I’m still hoping to see that pelican again. The water will recede and the land will dry out. The landscape will be rearranged and the drama of change is part of the fun…that and checking out the latest oddities to be washed up in the park. As for the Styrofoam, what was lost is too easily replaced.
Posted in art and environment, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, Ohio River, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged debris, flood, logs, river valley, strong storms, Styrofoam, watershed | 2 Comments »
May 9, 2009 by artistatexit0
My latest figure made from river junk comes at a time when the river is getting higher. We have had a lot of rain today and so for the next few days the river should continue to rise. When you live on the Ohio River, this is important information. For example, the morning talk was of a small fishing boat going over the Falls that needed rescuing…that and a large white pelican was sighted again. Might be the same bird from two years ago. Didn’t hear anything else about the fisherman…hope they are ok.
Two views looking east…the top shows the interpretive center and the steps leading to the river. The next shot is from the foot of the steps themselves. It should be interesting to see how high up the steps the rising river level will creep. During the Great Flood of 1997 the river completely climbed the steps. This event shouldn’t be that bad. Fishing has been great with lots of anglers catching striper hybrids, catfish, skipjacks, and an occassional sauger. Did see many large carp trying to leap over the fixed wier dam as in classic salmon pictures.
I moved the Bottleman to another location to get a better sense of his context. A couple days ago, you could walk by the trees that are now submerged. Most of the fossil rock formations are underwater. The Bottleman is on some sort of mission just one step ahead of the river.
Took a little time to do some birding and had some success. Saw my first Black-headed Blue Warbler, male and female traveling together. They were here and gone before I could get a snapshot. I did, however, find this Great Blue Heron fishing from floating logs as an abandoned refrigerator went by. Years ago, when I first started this project, I found a refrigerator lodged in the top of a tree and I couldn’t believe the river could get that high. Other notable birds…lots of Magnolia Warblers, various thrushes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Great Crested Flycatchers, Indigo Buntings, and a few Scarlet Tanagers were still around. Double-crested Cormorants were fishing all along the river and close to shore.
This is where I left the Bottleman by a log with a large hole in the side. Perfect for stashing away plastic bottles in case of an emergency. The figure is made from pink insulation foam, regular polystyrene, hickory nuts for eyes, part of a walnut husk for a mouth, wood, plastic bottlecap nose, and a fork for emphasis. He’s near the water and probably gone by now. The logs rolling over one another in the water made the strangest creaking and squeaking noise and reminded me of my father grinding his teeth in his sleep. We will see how high the river gets and if that pelican hangs around.
Posted in Art, art and environment, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged flooding, heron, high water, plastic bottle, recycled art, riverine, sculpture | 2 Comments »
May 8, 2009 by artistatexit0
It’s been raining upriver from us and so what happens in the northeast eventually flows down. More rain is expected and so it wouldn’t surprise me to see the water completely cover the fixed wier dam that forms the park’s eastern boundry. Massive piles of driftwood and debris are getting ready to flood the area under the Conrail Railroad Bridge. Every time the river rises the landscape of the park gets rearranged and creates new novelties. I was looking over recent images and found I had taken several shots of tree roots that speak not only of the power of water, but the tenacity of trees as well.
These are the roots from a black willow tree. This is an amazingly tough tree that grows in the poorest soil (essentially clay mud and sand) and frequently gets completely submerged during a flood.
The writhing roots from a cottonwood tree. At the moment, fluff from these trees is drifting like dry snow through the air.
I believe this is a cottonwood tree as well. I marvel at how the river will undermine a tree along the bank. In places, canopies are created and you can sit underneath the roots of a tree which comes in handy when it rains or on very hot days.
All these exposed roots are good catch-alls for whatever the river sends their way. This tree has snagged a bit of frayed barge rope or cable. Originally, these ropes are about as thick around as a man’s forearm. The river has no problem dealing with them. We will see how high the river gets. I’m looking forward to making new works in this rearranged environment.
Posted in art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, watershed | Tagged cottonwood, flood, riverine, tree roots, trees, willow | 2 Comments »
May 3, 2009 by artistatexit0
My apologies to the ladies on the left who’s names I don’t know, but the guy on the right is “Steve”. I had met “Steve” once before, last year, on the park’s western most border where fewer people go. I was scouting a location for making a sculpture and he was knapping a projectile point out of glass. On the riverbank, there is this “hail fellow well met’ attitude and so neither of us knows the other’s last name…as if that were important. Today I was looking for birds and came across “Steve” waiting for a friend near the Interpretive Center. We recognized each other and struck up a pretty good conversation. Seems we have a lot in common. We both grew up as military brats and our love for nature first developed in the woods of Europe. We also share this idea that many of the ills of the world could be reduced if people would reconnect with their own innate creativity. There is a feeling of accomplishment in being able to use your hands to make something. That’s why “Steve” knaps projectile points. Every one he makes is different. You need to know and study your material, be it flint or glass, and plan how you are going to approach making the form you imagine in the matrix. On the surface of the picnic table we were sharing he showed me some of the points he had made.
Most are made from local rock and flint found in Harrison County, Indiana. I like the ones made from plate glass and Milk of Magnesia bottles among other river-given glass. “Steve” also makes walking sticks and collects morel mushrooms for sale. He also admits that despite being “residentially challenged” he leads a pretty rich life. “Being 56 years old, nobody’s going to hire me.” We talked about stuff I do. How he has found several of my pieces in remote places. We talked about birds and how he collected bird’s eggs in England when he was a kid.
“Steve” asked me if I could identify the song an oriole makes when I hear one? And on cue, one unseen in the woods behind us called out. This picture of one of last year’s Northern Orioles (formerly Baltimore Oriole) is for “Steve” because he brought me luck. We were talking when the Summer Tanager from my last post appeared. I went off into the woods chasing beautiful birds and breathing in the perfume of blooming honey locusts. This time of year one of my favorite flowering vines is in bloom and I associate it with the orioles. It’s real name escapes me, but I call it yellow trumpet creeper…does anybody out there know what it’s called? I’m sure I will see “Steve” again…we are alike in that we are drawn to the river.
Posted in Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, recycled art, watershed | Tagged arrowheads, creativity, orioles, projectile points, wildflowers | 3 Comments »
May 3, 2009 by artistatexit0
From a previous post…you know I’m into birds and since this is migration season, I’m at the Falls of the Ohio as often as I can get a few hours to get away. I do keep a list of what I see in this park based on their official checklist that includes 268 recorded species. I’m almost half way there! I suppose I would have to live at the park year round to not miss any opportunities as long as the birds were willing to cooperate. The birds, however, have their own time-honored agendas and I try to be present in their moments. This season is shaping up to be a late one and I haven’t seen nearly the number of species I saw last year, but there is still time. The last two days have brought some surprises which I was able to get a few snapshots to share with you. Here are two new species for me at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.
The White-eyed Vireo is listed as being uncommon for this park. You are more likely to hear this bird ( and it can put up quite a volume of sound for a little bird) than to see it. It is a master of hiding in dense underbrush. I was less than ten feet away from this bird while it was singing and I couldn’t visually locate it. I saw one once in central Texas.
Here’s today’s prize! While looking for Scarlet Tanagers, I came across this male Summer Tanager. This is the first one I’ve ever seen and had to do a double-take. No black wings…pale colored bill and a slightly different call note. I was able to watch this bird for about five minutes and got close enough to record this image. Although I have seen several Scarlet Tanagers, I haven’t been able to make a photo decent enough to share. The Scarlet Tanagers so far, are staying in the tops of the trees where all the little cut-worms are feasting on young leaves. This is what is drawing migratory birds to this park. This Summer Tanager is about at the northern limit of its normal range. Seeing birds like this makes me want to go out everyday! It’s a nice break from working with Styrofoam!!
The first and last images are bird sculptures I’ve made and photographed at the park. Found objects I have used include various polystyrene foam pieces, plastic, wood, and bits of coal for the eyes. The “Blue-tailed Styrobird” I later mounted on a nice branch and sold in a gallery. The “Wood-winged Styrobird” I left for other people to discover and it later flew off.
Posted in Art, art and environment, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio River, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged Art, migratory birds, nature photography, river, Styrofoam birds | Leave a Comment »
May 1, 2009 by artistatexit0
Before my first month of blogging slides into the archive, I thought I would sneak another post into the Riverblog. There is a favorite patch of Virginia Bluebells or Virginia Cowslips ( same scientific name…different flower guides) that I like to visit at the Falls. I noticed that this year the patch has gotten a little wider and more successful. The flower buds are pink before they turn blue. I am always looking for new places to pose the Styrofoam pieces I make that reflect the season and this looked like a good location.
Here is the “Key Man” posed in a bed of wildflowers that include the bluebells. The figure is found Styrofoam, driftwood, and various plastic elements including tiny fishing bobbers for the eyes and “nipples”. His name derives from the orange plastic key around his waist that was once part of a child’s teething ring. Keys have power and are potent symbols. How all that works in this context is up to you!
Another view of the Mertensia virginica. I would like to offer these to the poor guy who jumped off the 2nd Street Bridge the other day. I was Falls bound, crossing the bridge by car, and saw that there were two other vehicles that had stopped in the middle of the span. Drawing closer I could see two men (later learned they were volunteer firefighters) trying to reason with a person who was preparing to jump off the bridge into the Ohio River. I drove on wondering if what I was seeing was in fact what was happening. The following morning, the local newspaper reported that the man had indeed jumped, but was rescued from the water unconcious and taken to a hospital. That’s all I know. It’s amazing he survived a fall of that distance into a river with such dangerous currents. Sometimes the bodies are never found. These flowers are offered with hope that this unfortunate soul will be able to find some beauty in the world once again.
Posted in Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged key, Styrofoam, suicide attempt, wildflowers | 2 Comments »
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